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Thursday, April 24, 2014

Good evening everyone! Tonight, I come to you to get something off of my chest. Sorry for no new music. This is something that needs to be said and hopefully understood by all.A few days ago, I saw a post on Facebook from an indie artist about a blogger that reached out to him about posting about his band. That band is The Sunpilots, who have recently been featured on this very blog. As I pointed out on said post, the band is currently offering their upcoming album as a free download. The blogger in question had downloaded the album, for free, then offered the post IF the band sent him/her some additional merchandise... then proceeded to to list what he/she would like. For free.

UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE!Who are the mainstream artists giving their music away for free?

That's what I thought.One of my all-time favorite posts about indie music has to do with the comparison between the cost of a cup of coffee at your favorite coffee shop and the cost of a single song published by an indie artist. It really is funny, because just this morning I paid $3.85 for a cup. As soon as I drove off, I thought about the three or four songs I just passed on. And the comparison itself is as true as it gets. Once the coffee was gone, what did I have to show for it besides a full bladder? As I sit here typing this, I'm listening to my iPod which is full of indie music that I've purchased over the last three or four years. Of the more than 87,000 songs currently in my iTunes library, nearly 40% of them are indie artists. Of that 40%, at least 85% have been bought and paid for. Whether it be iTunes, BandCamp, CD Baby, Noise Trade, ReverbNation, the artist's website or Amazon.com, I ALWAYS buy the music that I like to support the artists when and where I can. The estimated 15% that I haven't paid for have been sent to me unsolicited or downloaded for free because that's simply the only way the artist has put their music out there. If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen me interacting with indie artists who reach out to me about possibly finding a spot on this blog. They ask where they submit music to for consideration. My response is always the same. There's no need to submit anything to me. As soon as you hit the follow button, you're already on my radar. If I like what I hear, I buy the music and do my best to help them promote it. For someone to come right out and ask for something for free is downright preposterous and downright asshole-ish. Period. These artists are out there putting everything they have into their art. The vast majority of them work a 9 to 5 like most of us do. Any free time and money they have is going to the music that they create for us to enjoy. And contrary to what you may or may not believe, it isn't cheap, OR FREE for them to record. Even if they're completely DIY, how much do you think the equipment in their home studio cost them? Bet it wasn't free.And please don't get me started on how people act at the shows that I go to. As soon as the band starts to point out the merch table and the cd's they have for sale for $5, the bitching and moaning and haggling starts up. This is usually at shows that were either FREE for them to get into or paid a measly $5 cover charge to get into. There are usually three or more bands on the bill and at the most, they're playing in front of not a lot of people. How much do you think they're getting at the end of the night from the venue? If they're lucky, they'll have gas money to get back home. But the ass clowns in the crowd are bitching about a $5 cd when they're running up a $50 bar tab. Why do you even bother to come out?So, I'm putting this out there to ALL bloggers and fans alike. If you truly believe in the artist and their craft, please, please, please support them properly. Buy the music. Support the crowd funded campaigns. Go to the shows. Pay your cover charge. Buy the band a drink. Buy a cd. Buy a t-shirt. Make a new friend or two. These artists are some of the coolest fucking people on the face of the earth. They're regular people just like you and me. They're approachable. They appreciate you coming out to see them and support them. I've made some lifelong friends in not just our local indie scene, but all over, over the last couple of years. They know there isn't a single thing that I wouldn't do for them.Support unsigned artists... give indie music a chance.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

As I've made mention within the posts of this blog in the very recent past, one thing that I am most grateful for since I started this whole thing is the ability that indie music gives me to listen outside of the box. I had always considered myself to be somewhat diverse in my musical choices. Aside from jazz and classical, I thought that I had pretty well covered the musical spectrum. Little did I know how much of said spectrum I had actually never given a chance to. Until now.Following in the footsteps of Simpleton & Cityfolk, The Porter Draw and The Ghost of Paul Revere, I'm bringing the Americana sound back to MY Indie Music Blog. Please join me in welcoming Dos Ringos!

Dos Ringos is a collaboration between lifelong friends Scot Heminger and Trent Harris. Straight out of the heartland of America, the band is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. To say the guys nail the Americana sound is somewhat of an understatement. Sometimes country, sometimes blues and even a bit rock n roll, Dos Ringos pulls off one of the most far reaching and dynamic sounds in music today.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

April 6, 2010. It was within one month of that date that my outlook on mainstream music would forever change. April 6, 2010, is the day that the Indie Music Bus™ April Artist of the Month, David Gielan, released his album The Imperfect Tense. To say that I've become a fan of his over the past 4 years is somewhat of an understatement. On the off chance that you haven't become a fan yet, tonight just may be your night!

Returning to MY Indie Music Blog yet again is Los Angeles, California, USA based indie singer/songwriter David Gielan. David runs the gamut of indie music when it comes to what he has offered us over the years. From his first release, 2005's jazz infused rocker Idea Lab, to the aforementioned The Imperfect Tense, to a slew of singles ranging from hip-hop (yes, he has serious hip-hop cred!), to adult contemporary, to soft rock, to flat out knock you on your ass alternative rock (as a member of alt/rockers Oh Crap! Ninjas), to his most recent offering, Wading Through the Bracken, Part 1, David takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride by leaving his heart and soul in every recording he writes, records, produces and scores. Oh, you didn't know he was a producer, too? We'll get to that in a minute.It's going to be hard for me to pick just a few recordings to share with you here. I honestly don't think (contrary to what he will tell you himself) that David has ever had a bad day in the studio.In addition to being a top-notch recording artist, David is also making waves in the entertainment industry as an entrepreneur. He is the owner of Melody Maker Productions, located in downtown Los Angeles, as well as MMP Audio (a full service audio post-producton company) and the newly formed AudioProDB (more on them in a moment, too). MMP is where musical nirvana happens on a daily basis, as David has produced music for the likes of Poor Yorick, Lorelei Carlson, Wayne Stylez and Brandon West, to name a few. This also includes producing all of his own material as well as musical scores for placement with television and films.

2014 has also seen David nominated for three awards by the Artists in Music Awards as singer/songwriter of the year, adult contemporary artist of the year and producer of the year, ultimately being a finalist in the adult contemporary and producer categories. While he didn't bring home the trophies this year, the exposure was worth the efforts put forth by his fans to secure the nods for him. I'm already looking forward to next year's awards!Let's not forget the epic collaboration between David and another indie favorite of MY Indie Music Blog, the 2012 Indie Music Bus™ Artist of the Year, David Geftakys. Their song, You're Alive, is a song about love, hope and seizing the moment to be who you're meant to be.

Melody Maker Productions official websiteDavid's newest venture, AudioProDB, is looking to revolutionize the music business by creating a online audio credits database.(A note from Founder David Gielan) As an audio professional for the last
25 years, I am tired of not having this as a resource for my career. I
have worked as a composer, recording engineer, music producer, sound
designer, etc. and the only way you are going to know what I worked on
is by going to my personal website and if you don't know my name, you
are never going to find me. When I want to know who an actor was in a
film, I go to IMDB.com. Why can't there be something for music producers
and alike on the web? Now there is.A stop over to their IndoeGoGo campaign page explains the concept in more detail. Give his campaign video a watch and pledge if you can!AudioProDB IndieGoGo campaign pageSupport unsigned artists... give indie music a chance.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

I often find myself wondering how I got to be as fortunate as I have with the path I've chosen with this blog. I think back to just a few years ago, before indie music became such a huge part of my being, and wonder how many indie artists I missed out on. One thing that I was never cognizant of was how manipulated I was being by the mainstream. I was one of the flock, following along and listening to what I was being given to listen to. Little did I know that there was a whole other world of music out there left undiscovered. I was never aware that there was such a diverse group of artists all over the world putting out music that I never knew I liked. Until now.

I'm going to be the first to admit that when this band first came onto my radar, I had no idea what I was in for. I don't ever recall having purposely listened to a ambient indie rock/dream pop band before. I'm sure that at some juncture, there have been artists with some semblance of this sound in the repertoire. But would I have ever picked them out of the crowd? Something tells me I was destined to wait for something really special to come along. That something special, I believe, is Marathon.Zach Wager, vocals/guitar; Erich Wagner, guitar/vocals/percussion; Robert Battle, bass; Paul Winter, keyboard and Ricky Kreiser, drums, are the players responsible for pushing the envelop of musicianship that is Marathon. Once you press play, you're instantly hooked. There are times when other artists allow themselves to be overshadowed by the production of their music. This is never the case here. The artist and the production value compliment each other flawlessly. There's a cohesiveness from start to finish that allows you to immerse yourself in the artistry and get lost in the music. Head over to the band's official website now to download their self-titled debut album. Although they're offering it for free, remember, it wasn't free for them to record it. Give back to the band.Official Marathon websiteFollow Marathon on TwitterLike Marathon on FacebookFollow Marathon on SoundCloud

Friday, April 4, 2014

My journey of indie music discovery started roughly four years ago. In that time, I've seen more than my fair share of indie artists come and go. Some have affected me more profoundly than others have. The one thing that they all had in common was a lack of a dedicated fan base, regardless of the size. There was never a lack of or a question of the artistic ability, they just couldn't seem to grab a hold of the smallest fan base there is in music today, the indie fan.Well, my world has been turned completely upside down over the course of the past few months. If you're an indie artist yourself reading this, pay close attention to the band I bring you tonight. It's time for you all to meet Palaye Royale.

I first came across the music of the Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, based band a couple of months ago as a panel judge for the Indie Music Bus™ Artist of the Month/Year act. The band was up against some pretty stiff competition that particular month and just missed out on making it. They garnered another shot by the Bus last month and walked away with the honors as the March Artist of the Month. I want to apologize to both the band and the Indie Music Bus™ for missing out on getting this post done in time for them to be properly recognized for that achievement. In light of recent events, which will be explained to you in just a few moments, the band deserves their space here on MY Indie Music Blog in a HUGE way!The current incarnation of the band is made up of Remington Leith, vocals; Sebastian Danzig, guitar/organ and Emerson Barrett, drums. With a somewhat throwback sound that's described as fashion art/rock, the guys are making huge waves in the world of not just indie music, but the industry as a whole thanks to a stint in the current MTV News Musical March Madness contest. In the process of making it to the FINAL FOUR, they have knocked off (and pissed off the fans of) some mainstream radio heavy hitters, such as Vampire Weekend, Coldplay, Bastille and Tokio Hotel. For a complete DIY indie act, this is quite an accomplishment! And this is also where the aforementioned fan base comes in to play. The Soldiers of the Royale Council are burning up MTV's voting site to make sure their band succeeds. And it's not just this contest that they're turning up in droves to support the band in. The video for their single Get Higher is now closing in on the benchmark viewership total of 1 million YouTube views (currently knocking on the door of 900,000 views). This is nearly unheard of for an indie artist!Oh yeah, there's also the worldwide ad campaign for Samsung featuring the band and Get Higher. No biggie, right?!Not too shabby guys. Not too shabby.Head over to iTunes now to download the band's debut EP The Ends Beginning as well as Get Higher and their single Morning Light. They've quickly become a favorite on my iPod. From start to finish, Palaye Royale is good old fashioned rock n roll. And that's just the way we like it here at MY Indie Music Blog!The official Palaye Royale websiteFollow Palaye Royale on TwitterLike Palaye Royale on FacebookSubscribe to the Palaye Royale YouTube channelDownload music by Palaye Royale on iTunes